Johnsonville's The Sausage Dome Champion, Competitive Home Cook (2017 & 2018 World Food Championships Top 5), World Food Championships E.A.T. Certified Food Judge, KCBS Certified BBQ Judge, Tillamook Brand Ambassador, JOI Ambassador, Culinary Researcher, Food & Travel Blogger/Vlogger, and Recipe Developer
Monday, May 14, 2018
Weekend Getaway at Pechanga Resort & Casino: Day 2 – Lobby Bar & Grill and The Comedy Club
The services in this post were provided by Pechanga Resort
& Casino but the opinions expressed here are my own.
After a little bit of shopping at Essentials, a little bit
of slot play, and a little bit of napping in our air-conditioned room, it was
time for dinner.
Credit: Pechanga Resort & Casino
Lobby Bar & Grill uses fresh, sustainable, and locally
sourced ingredients infusing the flavors of American, Mexican, and Asian
cuisines. Chef Jose Mendoza uses items grown in the rich Temecula Valley to
take this California bistro concept to another level. This even extends to the
hand-crafted cocktails which are infused with local fruits and herbs. Desserts
are all made on-site at Pechanga’s in-house bakery.
Here is what we ordered:
Pomegranate Mule made with Tito’s Vodka, pomegranate, and
ginger beer. I am becoming a mule lover so when I saw that this had
pomegranates in it, I simply had to order it. The mule was smooth with the
tangy, sweet flavor of pomegranates. Rating: 5/5
Stuffed Bone Marrow Toast served with braised oxtail &
mushroom ragu and crispy brussels sprouts. The presentation reminded me of
Twinkies. The toasts were cut into rectangular blocks and the bone marrow “crème”
was piped into the toast just like the popular snack cake. I loved the bone
marrow crème and could eat that for days. The toasts were crispy on the outside,
yet spongy on the inside; well-suited to sop up the oxtail and mushroom ragu. The
brussels sprouts added a bittersweet flavor to the mix. Rating: 5/5
Steak & Frites is a prime grilled steak (choice of filet
mignon or hangar steak) topped with your choice of bleu cheese butter, peppercorn
crust, bordelaise sauce, or garlic herb butter served with hand-cut pommes
frites and arugula salad. I love the combination of filet mignon and bleu
cheese. The bleu cheese butter added a fatty, pungent creaminess to the lean
filet. The filet itself was perfectly grilled rare and so tender it could be sliced
with a butter knife. The pommes frites were expertly fried with crispy exteriors
and tender potato inside. Rating: 5/5
Braised Short Ribs are served with potato rosti, red cabbage
mostarda, baby carrots, and horseradish gremolata. This portion of braised
short rib was HUGE! This would be great for my hubby - the hungry man portion!
The short rib was so tender, and the aroma of red wine permeated the senses.
The potato rosti had a nice crispy exterior and creamy interior. The red cabbage
mostarda added an acidic sweetness to the dish as the horseradish gremolata
spiced up the taste buds. My mom said that this was the best short rib she has
ever had! Rating: 5/5
Giant Raspberry Macaron made with soft almond cake topped
with Bavarian cream, fresh raspberries, a crunchy macaron shell, and decorated
with raspberry gelée and gold leaf. It
was the perfect ending to a fabulous meal. We had sampled the macarons at the
media tasting on Friday evening and couldn’t wait to have another one. It was
decadent, creamy, tangy, and delicious! Rating: 5/5
Credit: Pechanga Resort & Casino
With a food coma eminent, it was time to head over to The
Comedy Club to catch Bobby Collins. The
emcee and opening comedian was John Pate.
A Southern comic who describes himself as if “Bob’s Big Boy and George Bush had
a baby” has toured all around the country and is an actor, writer, and author.
His latest book, Harvel
Goes To The Farm, is a children’s picture book about a moose who has gas. Bobby
Collins is a comic who can immerse you into his life experiences with his witty
comedic storytelling. He has toured the country and appeared on Lettermen, The
Tonight Show, and more. My favorite moment of the show is when he started
talking about how his sister would torture him by making him buy her maxi pads
at the local store in New York. The image of him as a little boy with a large
box of maxi pads strapped to his back made me LMAO. I almost fell out of the
chair! He also has a book, On The Inside:
Witisms and Wisdomisms, and 3 DVDs, Live
From The State Theater, Tell It
Like It Is, and Bobby Collins: Live.
After a couple of hours of hysterical laughing, it was time
to hit the hay and rest up for a relaxing morning at Spa Pechanga.
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